Jagger Jones received extra IMSA races than another driver all through the group’s many championships final season.
Racing the No. 87 Duqueine D08 LMP3 for FastMD Racing with Remstar within the VP Racing Problem sequence, the son of IndyCar and IMSA champion PJ Jones and grandson of Parnelli Jones used his flip from open-wheel racing to IMSA’s developmental classes to determine his title in endurance competitors.
The invitation to race for FastMD got here after the season-opening doubleheader at Daytona, and regardless of beginning with an enormous deficit within the championship, Jones went on to say seven poles and eight wins from 10 races and safe second within the standings.
Now, the 22-year-old is on the hunt for his subsequent alternative, with the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship holding essentially the most curiosity for the open-wheel, oval, and off-road racer.
“I actually loved my first yr within the IMSA paddock and within the sports activities automotive world,” Jones informed RACER. “I’d performed a variety of the open-wheel stuff the previous couple years, however what makes essentially the most sense is LMP2 for subsequent yr. I’ve talked to a couple groups, however not too far alongside the highway but. However that’s the place I feel can be actually good for me.
“About two weeks earlier than the second weekend for the VP Problem sequence in March, I had no racing plans. Nothing lined up for the complete yr, and the FastMD workforce referred to as me. They’d a driver fall by means of that they deliberate on doing the yr with, and so they referred to as me two weeks earlier than the race. I knew I needed to exit and win, and I did, received each races at St Pete, and it led to do the following two races at Mid-Ohio. Received each of these races, and so they invited me to come back do the complete season, and I used to be capable of carry them a Groups’ championship.”
Leaping into an LMP3 automotive for the primary time at his first VP Problem occasion was made simpler because of the big range of racing expertise Jones accrued lately. Like his father, who went from junior open-wheel racing to IMSA the place he set GTP observe information and received quite a few races as a part of the All American Racers Eagle Mk III-Toyota program, Jagger has grown comfy racing no matter’s put in from of him.
“I feel coming from the open-wheel background helped me quite a bit, however I’ve additionally pushed a wide range of completely different automobiles, from inventory automobiles to off-road stuff; a little bit of all the things, and I feel I’ve been capable of adapt properly to new autos” he mentioned.
“The prototype suits my driving type very well. And the LMP3 automotive has been actually fast all yr, and I knew so long as I didn’t make errors, we’d have a extremely good probability to win each single race.”
Jones hopes to place all he realized within the VP Problem sequence to make use of if he can land a possibility in IMSA’s high class.
“What I realized essentially the most this yr is learn how to management races, learn how to push when you have to, possibly preserve a bit when you could have a lead, and learn how to take the checkered flags,” he mentioned. I realized learn how to win a race by three seconds as an alternative of by 20 seconds, and that you just don’t must take the chance when it’s not wanted.
“I realized a ton with the site visitors, and I feel that was the most important distinction from starting to the top of the yr, and the place I might make up essentially the most time within the races, selecting by means of site visitors, timing the runs. I feel that’s what separated me from the sphere.”
